scf4 Spock & Christine Finally!, For Ni Naar
by T'Jel
Summary: Story Four of Five. Enterprise returns to explore the previously ignored planet. A surprise for Kirk. After V'ger, departure from canon. Stories should be read in correct order to avoid losing one's self in the time line. Click on T'Jel for stories list.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : Paramount, Viacom, Desilu and probably other corporations that I don't even know about hold the copyrights that own the context and the characters of the Original Star Trek series. No copyright infringements are intended and I am making absolutely no money with this.

A Note from the Author : If you've read my profile, I have one other thing to add. I don't believe in killing off characters, even if they come back to life in a sequel. The fact that 'the powers that be' chose to do this with both Kirk and Spock really turned me off. I started to write my own fan fiction with the knowledge that in my 'own', post-V'ger galaxy, these events would never occur. This venture has amused me greatly, and now, hopefully, others as well. I've read so much TOS fan fiction that I have adopted certain words and phrases from others, but cannot recall who the originators are. If you know, please contact me so I may give them the credit they deserve. These stories are my very first attempt at fiction writing, but I do own the story, and no one may use it, in whole or part without my permission.

Spock and Christine, Finally! - For Ni Naar

Chapter 1

Survivors

"Shall we take a walk?" Kirk gestured 'after you' to Spock.

"It would seem indicated." Leading the way with his tricorder, the landing party headed into the thick trees and brush. Although there had been no disturbance inside the wrecked ship, the path appeared to be of more current use. It was, at least, passable. It was difficult to get used to the idea that there was absolutely no animal life. No spider webs in your face, no mosquitos to swat away, but no bird-song either. Just the gentle breeze through the trees and grasses.

The path opened up at the top of a shallow hill, and there it ended. Before them was a savannah ecosystem, rolling hills of grassland dotted with mature trees. Kirk reflected on how much it looked like parts of California. One could easily walk in any direction now.

Spock consulted his tricorder again since it contained detailed topographic maps. "One point nine seven kilometers", as he indicated the direction. "One of those ancient craters, and an extensive network of caves. Possible shelter for our survivor?" They set out.

The morning sky was deep blue, the sun... bright. "Should we have any concerns about solar radiation, Spock?"

"Surprisingly, no. The atmosphere is effectively screening any harmful wavelengths."

Kirk had another question. "What percentage of this planet would you say is arable?"

"Restricted to the stable zones, about twenty percent of the total. This could be colonized, Jim."

"Depending on what we find in the way of dilithium, that will be a UFP decision. Pleasant enough here. What's the global temperature range?"

Spock knew not to get too 'scientific' with his Captain. "Very moderate throughout the middle latitudes, ice caps at the poles. More temperate than Earth. Mild variation through the seasons. Captain... look."

The savannah had leveled out. In front of them, about seventy meters across, the remains of an ancient, shallow crater. The rim was no higher than three meters. It looked like a thick crust on a homemade apple pie. The level ground in the center, was being cultivated! They all stood in silent awe. Neat rows of a type of grain, fully mature, was waving in the breeze.

Kirk drew the logical conclusion before Spock could. "Okay, we have at least one survivor. So, where is he? Still no life signs?" Spock shook his head to indicate 'no'. "Spock, what time is it here?"

"We arrived at planet dawn. If his dwelling is a cave, we would not be able to locate him until he came up to the surface."

KIrks communicator sounded. "Captain, we have four life readings, due west of your location. They just 'showed up', sir."

"Thank you, Uhura, we'll take it from here. Your theory appears correct, Spock. Do you have them on your tricorder?"

"Yes Sir. Four humans, two are heading off in other directions, the others are relatively stationary."

"Let's go say 'hello' to the ones that are staying put. Phasers on stun but keep them out of sight. Lead the way, Spock, if you please."

They had a few more kilometers to reach their destination. In the distance they could hear 'wind-chimes'? They also encountered other, smaller, cultivated fields with unknown types of vegetables and squash. Now there were fruit trees and 'grape' arbors, carefully pruned. Irrigation channels, bridges over streams, even flower-bordered paths going in various directions. All good signs.

Before they could see her, she saw them, and screamed bloody murder! The sound of footsteps running down a gravel path. "George! George! They're here! They're here! George!!!" That was one panicked woman. Kirk decided they would stand their ground. Let this woman and 'George' come to them now.

"Captain, someone is coming." Spock said softly. "If you call out, they could hear you now."

"Hello? Hello! We're from Starfleet. Please don't be afraid." He waited.

A clean-cut, middle-aged man wearing homespun clothing came into view, no closer than five meters. There he stood, and stared at the landing party. No one else moved. "It's true, oh God! It's true! You're speaking English! Uniforms are different. Starfleet? Really?" George was coming to his senses now. His wishful thinking had stopped decades ago, but this was no illusion.

"I'm Captain James Kirk of the starship Enterprise", as he held out his hand. The man walked up now and extended his own.

As they shook hands, "George. George Rheinhardt. Hello."

"I do apologize that our presence frightened the woman. Is she alright?" Kirk asked.

"Marie, my wife... yes, but she's hiding in the house at the moment." Then he saw Spock. "A Vulcan! Forgive my manners. His hand held up in the Tal, "Live long and prosper, Sir. My name is George."

Spock responded politely. "Peace and long life to you, and yours, Sir. I am Spock."

Kirk continued with the introductions, "...and Lieutenants Blair and Duehring from our Science Department."

"Pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet all of you! Marie and I never thought we'd see this day. Oh, thank you dear Lord! Our prayers have been answered."

"Your prayers, Sir?", Spock asked. "To be rescued?"

"No. This is our home now. Our prayers were that our children would not die here alone, never seeing Earth..."

"Your children? The two others on our scans. We saw them leave the area." Spock continued.

George turned to face the entire landing party. "They'll be gone all morning. It's harvest season, gathering nuts today. A bumper crop this year! Captain Kirk..."

"Please, call me Jim."

"Very well, if you call me George. Please come meet Marie. Would you like some coffee?"

"Coffee?", Kirk smiled. "For real?"

"No, of course not. It's just what we call it, and it's quite good too. Can you stay awhile? What even brought you here? No one else has ever come. We've been here thirty four years." He paused. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"It's quite alright, George, quite alright. We would be pleased to meet Marie and share some coffee with you." Kirk answered with a relaxed smile.

The landing party followed George further down the carefully tended, gravel path, lined with a variety of colorful flowers. "Marie loves flowers, calls them her silent birds. Took a long time getting used to not having animals. You'll hear wind-chimes at various locations, when the breeze is up. Another substitute for no birds."

The Rheinhardts

A twenty minute walk brought them to their destination. George and Marie's 'home' was within another shallow crater, a smaller one about twenty meters across. The outer rim was thicker, and taller, a minimum of eight meters both ways. A short wide tunnel with large wood doors was the entrance. The doors were wide open. Outside the rim, as far as they could tell, were small plots of seasonal vegetables. Kitchen gardens. Inside, they had transformed the rim into a carved out, rock dwelling. At least part of it was the dwelling. There were other doors and latched windows that continued around the entire crater.

The center, level area inside the rim was a another type of garden. A formal one, with large shade trees, manicured lawn areas, lawn furniture and flowers, flowers, flowers. Three paths divided the area into six slices, like the apple pie again.

"Welcome to our home." George proudly stated. "The section over here with the front porches is the house. The rest of the compound is work shops, storage, whatever. The rim is comprised of a very soft rock, a little harder than pumice. Never seen anything like it. No cracks, waterproof. Took a while, but as we needed more room, we just kept digging. After we built the gate, it became obvious that it wasn't needed. The doors have always stayed open. At least they're nice to look at. Let's go find Marie." He stood on the porch.

"Marie! That day has come to pass! They're here, from Starfleet. It's okay. Where ya' hiding, honey?"

Marie opened the front door, and shyly peered out. "You folks must think I'm plum crazy."

"In this case, the cause was sufficient, ma'am." Kirk borrowed Spock's phrase. He continued with the introductions again. When he introduced Spock to Marie, she bowed her head with hands folded down in front of her and replied. "I am honored, Sir." Kirk was impressed with their etiquette. It was becoming very difficult to think of them as 'survivors'.

"Marie, I promised them 'coffee'. Think we have enough cups? Come in, everyone, please."

Kirk could not believe he was 'underground', as it were. The interior looked very much like the adobe homes of the American southwest. All windows were wide open to let light in. No bugs to worry about. Whatever George had pulled out of their wrecked ship, it must have included tools. Finely crafted wood furniture with stuffed cushions of homespun fabric in various colors and patterns. The words just fell out of his mouth. "Your... home... is... beautiful!" Complimenting a woman on her home, Kirk just made a friend for life.

"Thank you so much, Jim. George, pull a couple of chairs in from the living room. We're going to have to 'make do'. The water's on, but the cups don't match."

Everyone laughed!

"And you call this 'coffee'? It's very good." Kirk took another sip.

"Appropriate name", Spock continued, "it definitely has caffeine in it."

"I always thought so", George answered, "but I never had a way to test it. We certainly took our chances when we first arrived. Finding food. Eat a small bite and see if you die. No, not really. Our initial fears were unfounded. We have yet to encounter anything here that is least bit poisonous. Perhaps without insect pests or foraging animals, the plants here never needed to evolve any defensive mechanisms."

Marie brought out... coffee-cake? "I love to bake. You may find this interesting. Neither of us could figure out how to make baking powder. That mystery was never solved. Then, we didn't have a clue as to where you would find yeast, because I think it's a bacteria or something like that. We found some small berries one day. Mixed with flour and water to make some of our usual 'unlevened' pancakes, it had the same effect as yeast. Just like you save your 'sour dough starter', we did the same thing, then let it dry out. Whatever it is, it works. I can make bread, rolls, anything! "

"Spock," Kirk began right after he finished a bite of cake, "How are we going to put in our reports that we came in search of survivors, but wound up having coffee and cake at their kitchen table?"

"The way you have just said, because it is the truth. Excellent cake, Marie."

"Why, thank you, Spock." Marie just made another friend for life.

The Forty-Niners

"Well, Jim. I suppose you'd like to know how we came to be here?

"We are curious. Our scans found your ship. That's where we started."

"Here goes. Thirty four years ago, Marie and I had just graduated from Iowa State University. I majored in geology and Marie, in education. We had several friends in common, four of them also were geology majors. Then, shortly after graduation, Dan Bergen inherited that ship from his uncle, who was a prospector. Dan had grown up hearing tales from his uncle about flying around the quadrant and prospecting. It never made the man rich, but it made him a very interesting person to know. The ship didn't have warp, but it could do point nine! Dan got his pilot's license. He already knew the ship from his uncle's instructions before the man passed on. Soon, he had all of us catching the prospecting bug."

"Despite protests from all of our parents, we decided to 'have a little fun' and go prospecting for a while. Just a while... then we'd settle down to more sensible professions. It took every credit we had, collectively, to make the ship certified space-worthy and supply it with the equipment we would need. We adapted the interior to handle ten people."

"We didn't even know where we were going at first. Just before our departure, I was still reviewing old Federation surveys. The lack of information on 49-R was enough to feed our imagination. The ship needed a new name, so the night before we left, we painted 'The 49ers' on her. A play on words. It seemed appropriate. For prospecting, you don't need to file a flight plan. In our enthusiasm, we later realized that none of us had bothered to tell anyone exactly where we were going."

"Took us three months to get here. As you have already noticed, the landing did not go very well. Four of us survived the crash, but the other two died within two days. All our close friends, gone. Marie and I were injured too, but time seemed to take care of it. Those first few days, she and I did what we had to do in a state of shock. Marie is the practical one. She convinced me our friends would understand that we would probably need their clothes and shoes, if we were going to be here a while. Each person's personal effects are still carefully stored, in individual boxes now with their name and the date on it. We wrote a letter to each family and placed those in the boxes too. We did

not want them to be forgotten, hoping that one day, their families would finally know."

"We still go there once a year to pay our respects." Marie added.

"Yes, we do. That's right, Marie. Once all the burials were done, and we had healed up some, well, that's when reality hit. We were stranded on a planet that no one had any interest in. It was a very hard time for us, coming to accept what was. Marie and I are both 'believers'. If it wasn't for our faith, we would have never made it. We stayed at the ship for a few weeks, eating the food stores brought with us. Each day we would take a walk in a different direction, marking our trails. The season at that time where we landed was summer. Without insects, we could sleep outdoors on the ground. It would get quite warm during the heat of the day, but not really hot."

"I didn't have the prospecting bug anymore. To file a mining claim, you would fill out a form and bury it, until you could contact a mining claims office. Instead, I wrote up a paper that I claimed the entire planet, dated it, and buried it by the ship. Made me feel a little better, like this was my home now."

Kirk and Spock looked at each other, but said nothing.

"Marie and I had always been good friends during school. We came from the same home town. But now, just the two of us, dependent upon each other for everything... well, we fell in love."

"Give me a break! I fell in love with you years before that!"

"That's correct. I'm sorry, my Love. I was an idiot for several years before I fell in love with you." Every one at the table laughed, except Spock, but he was laughing on the inside. "To continue, we started eating the native fruits, berries, nuts, grains. Our one day trips became two days, by leaving a sufficient cache of food and water. We had six basic trails established. Two days became three days, and so forth. "

"On one of our 'walk-abouts', that's what they call it in Australia, I like the term... we reached an area where the vegetation was rather sparse, like it was turning into a desert. The night we camped there, we heard explosions in the distance, three of them I believe."

"It was always our routine to return to the ship after we had gone to the farthest point on the trail. We had the cache of food and water to be left there. Two more explosions in the morning had us curious. We chose to take half of the provisions and continue another half day, then return. An hour of walking and everything was different. Looked like a war had been fought there overnight. Explosion craters everywhere. Some of them were huge. No plants, grass, nothing grew there. About five miles from where we were standing, Marie and I saw one of those explosions. We didn't need any more convincing. We had found our first 'boundary', and turned back."

"Two more of our trails took us to the 'active zone'. Having studied geology, I tried to evaluate what this information was telling me. An area of violent seismic activity, next to an area that appeared very stable. We had no way of measuring the direction of the seismic activity. Our only option was to head in the opposite direction."

"Our 'explorations' were now limited to three trails. We gathered up the containers we had used from the abandoned trails and used them to extend the others further out. One trail finally led to a very large river that we could not cross. Another boundary, and that trail was abandoned too."

"Two trails left. Both looked promising. The trail you found took us into this area with all the old craters. The other trail did not. It was still a very nice area, but I was fascinated by the craters. It was really a toss of a coin, so we wound up here. We chose this location specifically, because it was relatively close to the ship. I knew it would take us years to strip it down. The mining equipment came in handy once we realized where we would be living, and we had ten full sets of them."

"Marie, do you mind me telling them about, us?" She nodded her approval. "Under the sight of God, we said our vows to each other, and became husband and wife. When we were here a year, Marie's contraception shot had expired, but we didn't realize it. We had already discussed that it would not be fair to have children here because of the same situation we were in. To the best of our ability, we would live here as just the two of us. God had other plans."

"Marie became pregnant. No pre-natal care available. It was a very anxious time for us. Thank God. When she delivered, there were no complications, and she presented me with twins! A boy and a girl."

"No other children?" Spock asked with all politeness.

"Spock, you may not believe this, but it's the truth. A few months later, Marie and I had a difficult decision. Marie grew up on a farm, and was familiar with certain procedures performed on domestic animals. We do not drink, but there was a bottle of whiskey from the ship. With my approval of course, she got me dead drunk one day and performed a vasectomy on me. Did a good job too."

"Oh, my..." was all that Kirk could think of to say. "Please continue."

"It's been the four of us for the last thirty two years. Good years too. What you see is what we've accomplished. Our children, Beth and Gary have been taught absolutely everything Marie and I know, right through college level. We're very proud of them. They are fine persons in their own right. Now they can go to Earth, find what's left of our families. Live their own lives."

"You might want to at least 'visit' Earth at some point... maybe?" Kirk asked encouragingly.

"Maybe. He finished his cup of coffee.

"Jim, I have to go out and switch over some of our irrigation channels. My head is spinning with all that we've talked about. I need a break."

"I know what you mean", Kirk agreed. He had already sent the other two landing party members back up to the ship a few hours ago. Spock, he was convinced, could sit there for the next three days and remain as attentive. "I could use a break too, clear my thoughts. Mind if I take a short walk down one of your paths?"

"Of course, there's nothing here that will hurt you. Be my guest. Now there's something I haven't said for over thirty years. Imagine. Marie, we will be having 'guests' for lunch."

"Will you stay for lunch? It's our main meal. Oh, please Jim, say yes, please?"

"Thank you, Marie. It would be our pleasure to be your guests." he replied.

"May I assist you, Marie?" Spock offered. "According to my wife, I know my way around a kitchen."

"I accept your gift of self. The kids aren't back yet and I could use the help." Kirk and George left.

"Kids?" Spock asked politely.

"Kids! Look at me. They're both 32 this year and we still call them the kids or the children. 'Kid' is human slang for a youngster." she explained.

"I was taught that a 'kid' is an immature goat. Is this correct?"

Marie laughed. "Well, if you've ever seen one of those, you'd have to admit it's a good analogy. My parents used to raise some dairy goats, but that was a lifetime ago. Okay, you're tall. Fetch me that big bowl up there, the basket too. We're heading out back to the garden."

"You know Vulcan culture." Spock stated.

"George and I went to the same University. One of our professors was Vulcan. We felt it was only proper to learn some manners."

"In honoring one, you honor us all."

Nuts

Kirk wanted to clear his thoughts. A walk in this park would do that. He was amazed at how this family had adapted themselves, and they were happy, too. He wasn't sure how to approach the subject of dilithium. Was his claim to the planet legal? If 49-R became a UFP mining operation, it would surely break their hearts to think of the impact mining would have on their 'Eden'. Except for the lack of animals, it did seem like Eden.

'Interesting,' he thought, 'these paths are all gravel lined. Where did they get gravel? More than could have come out of the house. Well, there's an old expression, 'You've got more time than money', and they certainly had time.' He continued down the path into a forested area. No dead or dying timber laying around. Of course! Cleaned out for firewood long ago. Wind-chimes again, different ones. He decided to find them. A path turned off to the right, so did he. Large, old trees... looked like oaks, except they weren't, and there it was. A large wind-chime. This one was making quite a racket, too.

Bop! Something fell on his head. There, on the path, a nut. Kirk smiled and picked it up. Looking back up from the path, his eye caught something at the base of a tree. Looked all the world like a burlap sack. It was, filled with the same kind of nuts. George said his children were gathering nuts. They must be in this area. He looked through the forest at eye level. Nothing. A cracking sound brought his attention upward, just in time for a young woman to land directly on top of him. He could only remember two things. Getting the wind completely knocked out of him, and another woman screaming bloody murder as she ran away.

You think you're going to die until you're able to get that first full breath of air back in you lungs. He finally stood up. Sore, but no damage done. That must have been their daughter. Who else? He smiled at himself again. Not much luck with women today. Take one look at me and run away screaming. Now he was laughing too. What a day! Better head back to the 'house' and try to apologize. Looking up one last time, he could see the broken branch still hanging up in the tree, high in the tree. My god! She could have been killed. Kirk laughed at himself again. At least she had something soft to land on.

Poor Beth, it just wasn't her day. So intent on reaching those nuts, she never heard Kirk over the wind-chimes. Falling was frightening enough. Landing on 'who is this?!' was terrifying. Despite a very painful arm, she ran for home. Mom would be in the kitchen.

Instead, she ran straight into Spock and fell backwards. She was trying to scramble away on hands and knees when her mother's voice stopped her. "Beth! Beth! It's okay! Stop! Stop! Calm down." Beth stopped when she reached a corner, and just stared at Spock. Marie knelt down beside her. "Remember your Dad and I said a certain day may come to pass? Today is that day!"

Beth looked at her mother, back at Spock, who was standing very still, then back at her mother again. "Really? Is that a Vulcan?" she whispered.

"Yes, he's a Vulcan. This is Spock, one of our new friends. Spock, my daughter, Beth."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Beth. Forgive me if I frightened you. We are from Starfleet. May I assist you?" He held out his hands for both of them to get up. Mother and daughter each accepted a hand and stood. It was then Beth realized her other arm was hurting, bad. She sat on a chair and cradled her injured arm.

"Oh, Mom... I think it's broken. Spock reached for his tricorder, held it at an inconspicuous distance and took a reading.

"Yes, your arm is broken. Our ship's doctor can heal that for you, today. Forgive me Marie, I must contact my Captain." He pulled out his communicator.

"Your Captain? Blond hair, red jacket like yours?"

"Yes."

"I fell on him. I hope he's okay."

"Captain, Spock here."

"Yeah, Spock, I'm heading back to the house. Has anyone new arrived?"

"Yes, their daughter, Beth. She has a broken arm. I need to get McCoy down here. Are you injured?"

"No, not really, just sore. It's not very often that a beautiful woman falls out of space and into my lap." Spock was speechless. "Please tell her I'm sorry I frightened her. I'll be there in ten more minutes. Kirk out."

By the time Kirk arrived, McCoy was already there, with a smiling Christine too. She was assisting him as he knitted the break in Beth's arm. George had also returned. With her parents nearby, she relaxed and enjoyed the attention she was receiving.

Spock returned to the kitchen. The meal wasn't ready yet, and more people kept showing up. After Beth, Christine took a scan of the Captain. Just sore? How about a broken rib? McCoy asked George and Marie if they minded getting a quick 'once over' while he was there. They both agreed. He did his scans, and then told them he had to go back to ship to analyze the data. Christine gave McCoy a look, then kept her mouth closed. He already knew, and it wasn't good.

Lunch

"Beth, where's your brother?" Marie asked.

"Headed out to the red-nut trees. He took food and water. I don't think we're going to see him until later today."

"Okay, no lunch for Gary. How many are staying for lunch, I have to know.

McCoy looked to Kirk for guidance. "You've got to stay and see this for yourselves. Marie, do you have room for two more?"

"Seven people. George, find another chair. It's going to be cozy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!" Marie was one very happy woman. She went back into the kitchen, Spock was stirring the pot of soup. "We've got to stretch it, Spock. Here. Get it to a boil and add these noodles. I'll get some bread and butter."

"Butter?"

"Made from a certain kind of nut. You won't believe it's not butter." The kitchen table was rather large. It was the first table made, and practical Marie wanted it big so it could serve many purposes. Extra company was one purpose she never dreamed of. The bowls were all hand-carved wood. The spoons and other flatware were metal, still from the ship. "Okay everyone, soups on. Cafeteria style. Bring your bowls." Marie was having the time of her life! A line formed, and Spock ladled out a large portion to each one. Christine was last in line.

"See, one way or the other, I was getting to come down." She teased.

_"Yes, my Wife... your determination is admirable."_ Spock filled his own bowl and sat down next to Christine.

"Jim, do you mind if my family says 'grace'. It is our practice."

"Please, George, we respect everyone's beliefs." Kirk answered.

"Dear Lord. Thank you for this day... this special day you promised would come to pass. Thank you for our new friends. Bless Gary where he is today, bless all seated here, and bless this food which we are about to receive. In Your Name, Amen... Please, everyone, dig in."

Lunch was a banquet. Thick, hearty, vegetable noodle soup. Thick crusted bread with herbed 'butter', and fruit juice. Enjoyable conversation across the table. Jim just happened to be sitting next to Beth, and helped her a few times because her broken arm was going to be in a light cast for two days. They softly joked to each other about their first meeting, too. Christine could not hear what they were saying, but caught Spock's eye and nodded in the Captains direction. _"I have much to tell you later, Beloved."_ Spock sent to her.

After lunch, everyone wound up on the front porch, which shaded the noontime sun. It was warm, but it also felt like autumn was coming on. Kirk hated to break up the party. "George, Marie, thank you for your gracious hospitality. It is noon for you, but it is late evening for us on the ship. We have had a very long day already. I promise you on my word as an officer of Starfleet, we will return tomorrow. The Enterprise will not be leaving for a very long time, and when we do... you will have the option to come with us. I hope you believe me."

"Of course we do, Jim. God doesn't pull tricks on us. Sleep well, all of you. Tomorrow we will talk about letting your crew come down and get to walk barefoot in the grass. How does that sound?"

"That... sounds... wonderful...!" Christine exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her. She blushed. "Well, it does, doesn't it?" With a round of laughter, Kirk's group arranged themselves in transporter position.

"Enterprise, five to beam up."

A Secret

It was 2100 by the time Christine and Spock were back in their quarters. "Christine, please come to me. I want you to hear this for yourself." He sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. As he reached out to her Psi points, she knew she was going to get a replay of something he experienced today. Mind melds between them now were as natural as breathing. He didn't even have the say 'the words', just touch her. Then, in Kirk's voice, '_It's not very often that a beautiful woman falls out of space and into my lap.' _So surprised, she broke the meld, which did cause considerable pain to Spock. "Owww!"

"My Love, I'm so sorry!" She kissed his forehead, as if that was going to make the pain go away. It didn't. "Forgive me, but... is that for real?"

"No, I made it up because I wanted to get a headache tonight. Yes, Christine, it is real. Those were Jim's words."

"Beth? I watched them at lunch. There was something there. You already knew. Why didn't you tell me then? Were you afraid that I would say something and ruin it?" Spock just looked down. "Oh Spock, you don't trust me?"

"Don't say that Beloved, I trust you with my life, with the life of my son, I trust you completely. It wasn't a matter of trust. You... tend to speak from your heart, without advance notice." Christine could only laugh in response, grab him in a big embrace and push him backwards onto the bed. Laying side by side. "Do you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive if it's true. God, I love you. Now, you are not one to draw a logical conclusion from just a coincidence. Am I right?"

"Perhaps I am trying to exercise my humanity and 'leap' beyond logic." Spock replied. With that smirk on his face, she wasn't buying it.

"My Love, that is one heck of a big leap. You think that Beth is 'the one' for Jim? You just met these people."

"I wanted you to be aware of the same things I am in this situation. We will be here for quite a while. There are... complications."

"What kind of complications, something bad?"

"No my Love, but George told us that he 'claimed' the planet. I believe what he did is quite legal. I have yet to speak with Jim about it. Please do not tell anyone else this, and yes... I trust you." He got up.

"One last thing, Spock. The time has come that you have to start helping me to get out of bed. Ooof!"

Maintaining a geosynchronous orbit over the Rheinhardt's home, those who were going to be involved with this mission would have to switch their internal clocks to match the planet surface. Easy for Spock, naturally... harder for everyone else. Christine decided to be bleary-eyed for one day and just switch over with Spock, tomorrow.

Diplomacy 101

Kirk called all his senior staff to a short meeting to fill them in on the events so far. He finished by telling them to inform their departments of the 'possibility' of shore leave, and he would keep them informed as to if and when. Everyone filed out, except Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Time for an 'executive session'. "Okay, Bones... you first."

"I'm glad George and Marie didn't catch on to my delaying tactic. In this situation, a doctor's confidence... well, I know you'll keep it under your hats. And don't look at me that way, Spock, you know darn well what I mean." Spock just looked up at the ceiling and said nothing. McCoy continued. "Yesterday was a very special day for that family. It was not the time to give them bad news. Beth is healthy, but both of her parents have very serious medical conditions. This is to be expected. they've been out of touch for thirty four years. If I told them then what they have, those nice folks would have been totally devastated, if not traumatized. George has a serious heart condition and prostate cancer. Marie has breast cancer. Now the good news. Even at the stages they are in, their conditions are totally treatable. After the initial excitement of our arrival calms down a little, I will have a talk with the two of them, together, and we'll get all of this taken care of. Again, this is just between the three of us."

"Agreed.", Spock replied first, to make up for his attitude earlier.

"Yes, Bones... and thanks. I'll let you go now, Spock and I have a few more items to discuss." McCoy left the conference room.

The two of them were silent for a moment. Kirk rubbed his eyes and sighed. Spock knew his Captain was just 'switching gears', clearing his mind for the next subject. He waited patiently, as he always did. "Okay... ," He was ready. "George has given us a bit of a problem, wouldn't you say?"

"It is easy to assume you are referring to his 'claim' to the planet. Yes, this is a complication we had not anticipated."

"Your opinion?", Kirk asked.

"I cannot speak for Starfleet's Legal Department, but I believe his claim is valid."

"Good. So do I. Dig up all the legal research you can find for us to provide him with proof of precedence to go with his claim. Until the claim is honored by UFP, we have to go on the assumption that he indeed, is the owner of 49-R. We will have to approach the subject of dilithium with diplomacy. George seems like a very reasonable man. I am not apprehensive about this."

Spock was thoughtful. "Nor I. These people are of good character, and strong faith. We will approach them with the respect they have earned. How shall we proceed?"

"They are open and honest, straight-forward. We will be the same. What time is it down there?"

"1030. Anyone else coming?"

"Not this time. We have serious business to discuss." Kirk replied.

"Agreed."

It was 1040 when they materialized in the Rheinhardt's garden. George was sitting on their front porch, in a rocking chair, enjoying what was probably a cup of coffee. He was not alone.

"Good morning gentlemen. Have you had your coffee yet?"

"Morning George. We're good, thanks." Jim liked this man's relaxed attitude. Reminded him of something."

"Jim, Spock... I'd like you to meet my son, Gary." Gary did the same, formal Vulcan greeting to Spock, then held his hand out to Jim. "Pleased to meet both of you. I missed a lot of excitement yesterday."

"That would be one way to put it, Gary. Finding your family here was a big surprise for us too, a pleasant one. '49-R' has been keeping a secret for a long time."

"Forty nine R?" He looked to his father, who started to laugh.

"Sorry Gary, they don't know. Jim, ever since our kids were starting to talk, we tried to get them to say '49-R', but for them it came out as 'For-Ni-Naar'. That been the name of our home ever since."

"For Ni Naar. The records will have to be changed. This planet no longer has a simple designation code, wouldn't you agree, Spock?"

"Indeed. Gary and his sister, Beth are also the first native inhabitants of the planet For Ni Naar."

"We never thought of it that way," Gary continued. "Makes us feel a little important."

"Well, we're not that important, Gary. Remember that." His father admonished him. Kirk felt that must have something to do with their religious faith. Gary presented himself with the attitude of a grown man in his own right, yet completely respected his father. If Kirk was going to be successful in negotiating with these people, he had to be observant of their very small and unique 'culture'. A society of four.

"George, Gary. We have some legal business to discuss with you, all of you, or however you wish."

"What kind of legal business, Jim?" George asked with concern.

"Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets do things 'by the book', so we are required to approach certain subjects to please those who are in authority over us." The Captain hoped that went over well.

"Trust me on this, Jim." George responded. "I have a good understanding of authority, to have it over others and to be under it too. Say what you have to, and don't feel like you're stepping on toes. Gary and I will take the information to Marie and Beth. Any decisions involves the whole family. For now, just the four of us. Shall we go into the living room? It's rather comfortable there, if I must say so myself."

"Where are the ladies today?" Kirk asked as he looked around.

"Harvesting some special flower seeds. If you remember, I mentioned yesterday that Marie likes flowers. Does she ever like flowers!"

Kirk and Spock each had their own cushioned chair, while George and Gary shared the sofa. The breeze that came in the open window was warm, but low humidity made it very comfortable. Once settled, Kirk began. "George, I'll get right to the point." The Captain wasn't ignoring Gary, but George had made it clear that he was the one in authority here. He wanted his son as a witness to the conversation. The man had wisdom.

"We were here three months ago, just for one day. Spock brought down three new ensigns from his science department for an away mission. They landed at the boundary of the 'active' area. Spock was injured in an explosion. We left right after that because we had to get to our next destination. One of his injuries (indicating with a nod of his head towards his first officer) was being impaled with a sharp rock from the blast."

"Spock, that must have been terrible. If only we had met earlier and could have warned you." George was obviously troubled by what he heard.

"I appreciate your concern. I have recovered well, thank you. The 'rock' in question was analyzed by my department. It was a unique form of dilithium ore matrix. Starfleet ordered us to return and investigate."

"Until yesterday," Kirk picked up from that point. "when you mentioned that you had claimed the planet."

"Did I do something wrong?" George was apprehensive.

"No. Not at all. Until we have a formal ruling, you may have done something very good, for yourselves, without realizing it. Your claim to the planet may be valid. We are required to go on that assumption. We may not do anything, without your permission, even the shore leave you offered. We were required to inform you of your status and not take advantage of your ignorance of the fact, even in that regard."

"Jim. I don't know what to say. I'm... shocked." George looked over to his son. Gary was speechless. "I had no reason to make that claim, but something inside of me said to just do it. I thought it was an empty gesture at the time to make us feel a little better about our situation. Not that I really set out with the intention to own a planet."

"How long until a legal decision is made, and by whom?" Gary asked.

Spock fielded this question. "The United Federation of Planets is in authority over Starfleet. It will be brought to their council. They will provide you with legal representation. It may take months."

"But you say in the mean time, you have to go on the assumption that the claim is valid?" George directed his question to the Captain.

"Yes. Until you are told otherwise, you are the owner of For Ni Naar."

Waiting

The UFP was contacted first regarding the new situation, with a copy of the message sent to Starfleet. Kirk then sent a second message to Command, seeking their 'opinion'. Their response was that he had done everything by the book, and to continue establishing relations with the Rheinhardts until their legal status was confirmed.

George discussed the issue at length with his family. He said that part of their decision making process included prayer, and asked for patience. It was only a day later that he contacted the Enterprise (Kirk had given him a communicator) and asked that he and Spock come back down. They did so.

"Jim. Spock. To whom much has been given, much is required. For whatever length of time is allotted to me, I am now a steward of something that is not my own. Nobody can 'own' a planet. This is part of God's creation, and at the moment, I am responsible for it. So be it. My family and I are in agreement. Now, we were talking about shore leave?"

The Enterprise was going to be there for a while, and the crew wanted to give this beautiful planet a nick name, the Garden of Eden. That would have to be their secret because George would never go for that reference. He allowed shore leave at the Captain's discretion. The Captain was firm that the area delineated as the Rheinhardt's territory was off limits. There were twelve other safe areas on the planet that had never been explored. Away missions were sent to each area to check it out first, then the crew finally got to run around barefoot in the grass, if that was their desire. Soon the common terms used were the 'safe places' and the 'war zones'. George cringed at the reference to 'war', so everyone agreed that 'danger zone' was just as appropriate. He was a generous and reasonable man, but the Rheinhardts had their commitment to their beliefs.

Shore leave was a privilege that had rules. For an uninhabited area, it was rather simple. Don't cause any damage to the environment. Clean up after yourself. If you qualified for shore leave, Kirk decided that you could go down any time you were off duty. One third of the total crew had to remain on board at any given time, so seniority ruled. No one minded. Every single crew person got their fair share.

Hiking became a favorite activity, thanks to Spock's detailed topographic maps that were provided. Sleeping overnight on the planet was also allowed, and enjoyed. Under the stars. No campfires, definitely. Kirk was sure that when the time finally came for them to leave, they would have to drag them back to the ship kicking and crying.

Captain Sulu and the crew of the Guardian also enjoyed their shore leave. He and Chekhov met the 'family', explained their purpose as an escort. Guardian would have to leave soon, but not for long, not at warp seventeen. It was time to drop off his trainees on Earth. Their own escort was being commissioned, and they were all being promoted to executive rank. Guardian would be there just long enough to pick up four new trainees and head right back to the Enterprise, it's first and only responsibility. For Sulu and his crew, the fun was about to begin again.

Side Effects

It was said before. Four hundred people living and working together form a society. The Enterprise now allowed crew members to marry and live on board, with children up to age five. They knew there was a future for their personal lives. Unlimited shore leave on For Ni Naar had a interesting side effect. Romance was running hot and heavy on the planet. Four wedding ceremonies in one month.

More Waiting

A month had passed without anyone realizing it. Not true. One crew member was well aware of the passage of time. Not Spock... his wife. Christine was in her eighth month. It was Marie, of all people, who got ahold of Spock one day and took him aside for a little talk. After three hours, Spock thanked her for her gift of self. Marie replied that as a mother of twins, the obligation was, without a doubt, hers.

What Spock learned from Marie was the importance of being all the more attentive to his wife at this time. She had given him suggestions and talked with him like he was her closest friend. Spock realized that was how she treated everyone she met. Before their visit ended, he asked if Christine could come down to visit with her on occasion. Marie insisted upon it. Her door would always be open to them.

As long as Christine and the baby remained healthy, she had to remain on her feet. It was the duration of time that would change as she continued into the final months. Spock's mother did not have the same experience that Christine would. His gestation and birth was a medical anomaly. He was taken from his mother at seven months and placed in a maturation chamber for three months. His father had established a parental bond at that time because a Vulcan infant could not survive 'alone' in that way. His father's bond supplied survival, and not much else.

How different it would be for his son. At eight months, Spock had a strong parental bond established. He and Christine worked each evening on adapting her Psi abilities into at least a Terran form of a bond. The child was aware of his mother's presence, had learned to accept her 'gift'.

Spock now joined Christine for her evening swim at least every other time, allowing her to enjoy her friends company too. After their meditation period, each evening, but later... he would provide her with a relaxing massage, or whatever she wanted. He learned from Marie's advice how to 'pamper' her. It did the trick. Christine admitted that her eighth month was easier than her seventh. Most important, he learned that she needed to believe that she was a desirable woman, not a beached whale, as she had once described herself. With the bond that they shared, he had no problem convincing her of his desire for her, now and forever more.


	2. Chapter 2

Spock and Christine, Finally! - For Ni Naar

Chapter 2

Dillithium

It was George who brought up the subject. One morning he asked for just the Captain to come down. Kirk readily obliged.

"Let's take a walk." George began. They had only been in the house portion of the compound, all the other doors around the perimeter were always closed. He started and the first door to the left of the house. No locks, of course. He opened the door, then flung open the window shutters to let in some light. Inside, neatly arranged, were what was left of the salvaged ship. "This is one of my supply rooms. Over the years I've tried several projects, but few worked as well as the old fashioned technology our ancestors used. Not much to see here, just wanted to show you."

"Was it hard for you and Marie, in the beginning?" Kirk asked gently.

"I'll tell you something, Jim. If I had been alone, I would have killed myself, it's as simple as that. But Marie was my salvation. A good woman is hard to find, and God blessed me with Marie. I had dated other women in college, a lot in fact. Broke my heart a few times too. You mentioned that you're still single. If God brings the right woman to you, don't be stupid. Here's the next room, my workshop."

George's workshop was something to behold. Using materials and metal from the ship, he was able to make effective 'power' saws, lathes, grinders, etc. The power came from whoever had to turn the pedals on a makeshift bicycle, which turned the pulleys. He joked that Marie was very fit those first few years and could outrun him, thanks to all the furniture he made for her. Later, of course, the kids would take turns on the bike. There were still a few unfinished projects laying around the room. Kirk would have loved to stay here a few hours and try some of the equipment out. 'Better not ask', he thought, 'George will make me pedal the bike!'

Third door, dried food storage. Almost at ceiling level, rows of wire, stripped of their insulation, were stretched tight across the room. Slices of dried fruit and vegetables were pierced on the wire to dry. Elsewhere in the room, other plants had been pulled up by the roots and hung upsidedown. The 'berries' would dry on the branches. The room was quite full. "Getting ready for winter." was all that George said here.

Next door, only a stairway heading down. George propped open a skylight in the ceiling. A shaft of light went down the steps. "Sometimes we use the mirror too, but you don't need much light for what's down here." They came to the bottom of the steps, about five meters below the surface. The room had been carved out into 'stair-step' shelves all around. The shelves were lightly covered in dry straw. Kirk wasn't sure what to make of it until he saw, in one corner, a few large squash or pumpkins, whatever they were. "This is our root cellar. As you can see, we're almost done with last years supply. Harvest time is serious business for us." George was rather calm and matter of fact as he continued the tour.

Next, the winnowing room, empty except for some strange looking equipment in the corner, and large stacks of empty burlap sacks.

Kirk was totally impressed with the next room. It must have taken them years to accomplish. Grinding stones, powered by a windmill out back, to make flour, efficiently. "The stones?" Kirk asked.

"Yeah, they were a bear to make, fortunate that they are also round, getting them here was less of a problem. Finished this twenty years ago." George's humble pride in his accomplishments were well earned.

Two more doors led to empty rooms, storage for the grain and flour.

George pointed to the second to last door. "This one is our weaving room. Thank God we had those extra clothes Marie saved. Took us a long time to figure out how to spin, weave and sew. The big loom is Marie's pride and joy. We had no plans to follow, so we re-invented it from scratch. Finally, the last door. Now this is what I actually wanted you to see. Let's make this easy on ourselves. Can you get your ship to send down two flashlights?"

"Sure." Kirk replied and in one minute they had them.

"I've been using candles. This is great. Watch your step." There were steps, if you could call them that. Wide, broad and flat. The lights they carried reflected off the walls of not a room, but a cave. The rock surface sparkled, just like the rock sample they had on Enterprise. It had to be the same dilithium ore matrix... maybe?

Walking with little difficulty from chamber to chamber, Kirk noticed something. "I smell fresh air."

"Convenient, isn't it. This cavern system opens up at the surface in a few places, miles from here. The air stays fresh." Finally, they entered a very large chamber. Only three meters high, but extending over a great area, with rock columns left for support. "I dug all this out by myself, over the years. This is the vein."

"The vein?" Kirk just remembered, George was a geologist and had come here for prospecting. "Now I know where you got all your gravel for the paths."

"You've got that right. Had to put it somewhere. Well, Jim... here's the results."

George turned his flashlight towards one dark corner, Kirk did the same. Their lights reflected back a thousand times, illuminating a storage area the size of a shuttlecraft. Hundreds upon hundreds of the largest dililthium crystals he had ever seen. Kirk dropped to his knees, then sat down on the cave floor, lest he faint and fall. George was not surprised that he was speechless. "When you first met Gary, you said '49-R' has been keeping a secret for a long time.' That was when I had to do some serious thinking. This was going to be another root cellar when I broke through into the cave complex. It was that first crystal just sticking out of the rock that got me going. You see, I had the mining-bug all along. Whenever there was nothing else to do, I'd head down here and do a little digging. The ore matrix is soft enough. It was good exercise, and I called it therapy for clearing my mind. I'm no specialist, but as far as I can tell, these are good crystals."

"George, these are more than 'good' crystals. These are the best crystals I have ever seen in my career. And we have a specialist on board, my Chief Engineer, Montgomery Scott. I have to ask you, why are you showing this to me?"

"Like I said before, the family shares in the decisions around here. We have a wonderful home here, and now... the opportunity to visit Earth. The kids may wish to stay there. They haven't said yet. They're adults and their mother and I actually want them to get off this rock, at least for a while. Back on Earth, we were very supportive of the United Federation of Planets. Vulcan culture has this philosophy of IDIC, infinite diversity, infinite combination? We welcomed the positive changes that the UFP and Starfleet had accomplished. Thirty four years later, you have filled us in on what's been going on. We have no need for these crystals, but the UFP does... for the benefit of all member planets. This is our gift, no strings attached." George selected an average sized crystal, about five pounds, to take with them.

"George, I truly don't know what to say at this moment."

"I kind of figured that. Come on", as he helped Kirk to his feet, "let's go get a cup of coffee. How does that sound?"

"Yeah... good idea... I could use one right now."

The small staff meeting back on the Enterprise was an emotional one, at least for Mr. Scott. He literally had tears in his eyes. "Sir... forgive me... this is the most beautiful, most perfect crystal I have ever seen. It exceeds all others in quality."

"Scotty, George said this one was 'average'. I saw a pile of these big enough to displace a shuttlecraft. He said 'no strings attached.'"

Spock was greatly impressed, but controlled his emotions in this case. "He indicated that amount came out of one vein? What if each ancient crater contains an equal amount of crystals? It could have ramifications way beyond our comprehension."

"What do you mean?" Kirk asked.

"We have enemies in this galaxy, not because they hate us, but because they are resource poor, specifically 'power' poor. I will not speculate at this time without further proof as to the extent of the dilithium supply on this planet, but this could upset the balance of power between the Federation and it's enemies."

"How, Spock?"

"Consider this. The Federation, with all it's member planets will now have a stable supply of dilithium. More than they need. We next reach out to our enemies and offer them trade agreements, reasonable ones, generous ones."

"Spock... if only." Kirk was very quiet now, thoughtful and contemplative. Regaining his composure, "Gentlemen, we have a few 'ifs' that have to be settled. Scotty, go play with your crystal." He left, smiling. "Spock, you and I have to compose a message to the UFP and Command again with this new information. I want it worded very carefully. I don't want this mission taken out of our hands. I'm going to need your help with that."

"And you shall have it, Captain."

Timing is everything. Kirk could not believe this coincidence was not by divine intervention. Before he and Spock could complete their message, one came in from the UFP Legal Department. The message included the following. "Based on information of the actual event that occurred thirty four years ago, plus the legal research showing precedence in other cases, the UFP council is in unanimous agreement that the claim to the planet is valid. Proceed with negotiations for UFP membership. A formal diplomatic contingent will arrive in three weeks to assist in negotiations if required and / or sign agreements."

"Spock, when is the last time you played poker?" Kirk asked, smiling.

"May I first ask 'why' you want to know?"

"Don't worry, my friend. It was a rhetorical question, anyway. We will proceed with negotiation for UFP membership, but the gift of the dilithium will not be included. We have yet to receive permission from George to search for dilithium on our own."

"Indeed. We have not asked him." Spock pointed out.

"We're going to play it straight with George and his family. It's certain members of the UFP and certain individuals in Starfleet that I do not trust with this information. What do we have to work with, right now?"

George Rheinhardt is the legal owner of For Ni Naar. He has offered a gift to the UFP before he has been accepted as a member. Some will look upon this as a bribe. Perhaps we should ask him to retain his gift until a later time, for that very reason."

We have three weeks. Let's take our time. Provide the family with as much legal and other information possible for them to realize exactly what position they are in now. A survivor has just become the sovereign ruler of a planet.

Beth

George gave Kirk his permission for the Enterprise's crew to look for dilithium, anywhere except his family's 'safe area', which was about the size of Texas. His home area was the smallest. The others ranged in size from Australia to North America. He asked that they would clean up after themselves and not damage the environment if possible. The Captain gave his word, and that was good enough for George.

Spock and his Science Department, along with other departments on the ship, were now quite busy. Spock would oversee the entire mission to search for dilithium and George's requests were to be observed to the letter. His goal was to identify the locations of other veins, and to confirm quantity and quality. No mining operations would occur. Gary expressed great interest in what they were doing, so he would accompany Spock any time they were on the surface.

Kirk was comfortable enough to conduct the negotiation process with the Rheinhardts by himself. He always took a tricoder to have a record of each session. Marie seemed comfortable being out of the limelight. She knew what was happening, but didn't feel it was necessary for her to be sitting in on negotiations, or traipsing around the planet with her son either.

It was Beth who sat at her father's side, every session, absorbing every word spoken, and participating in her own right. George was pleasantly surprised that his daughter had this aptitude. The woman was very intelligent and well educated, just never had an opportunity to use it much up to this point. Beth was making up for lost time in a big way. She was a 'natural' at negotiating. Eventually, George began to sit back and let her work out all the details with Kirk.

The Captain spent the time necessary to educate Beth on the entire UFP membership application process, and how to look out for the interests of her family, and her family's holdings. Soon, George didn't even show up for the sessions, he trusted his daughter that much and felt that she exceeded him in this area. Not that he was ever far away. She would often call to him to come back to the table over a certain issue. More often than not, it was just Beth and Jim, working together, working well together.

Was it three weeks already? The UFP diplomatic contingent was due in four more days. Captain Kirk and the Rheinhardt family had completed their negotiations. The draft documents were ready for review and signature. All parties involved felt very good with what they had accomplished.

Beth and Jim

Kirk was tired, mentally tired. Almost three weeks, non-stop, he and Beth drew up a document they were both very proud of. The rest of the family poured over every detail of the membership application. All were in agreement. It was fair. It was generous.

They had worked on the assumption that dilithium would be found elsewhere on the planet. Spock and his team did not disappoint them. The ancient craters all contained a vein of crystals, ranging in size and quantity according to the diameter of the crater itself. It wasn't until they were able to set up surface equipment directly over the suspected site, did they finally get positive scans for dililthium. Spock estimated that it would take one hundred eighty seven point three six years to remove all crystals from existing craters, taking into account the strict environmental restoration requirements for each site. This was not to say that other veins existed that weren't related to craters. That would have to wait. They had sufficient information with which to add to the negotiation process.

Then, there was the question of arable land. Each one of the 'safe zones' was a paradise unto itself. The Rheinhardts agreed to colonization, with some very strict rules. This was not going to become just another mining colony. Families only. Single men could only come with their parents. No bars, no brothels, no gambling, etc. And no raising of livestock. Neutered pets only.

The planet was actually set up as a non-profit organization, wholly owned by the Rheinhardt family. Kirk was pretty sure that this was a first. George was adamant that For Ni Naar would be for the benefit of all sentient life, not for the profit of a few. And it was going to be done on a planetary scale. Kirk had to agree, this man did have faith that could move mountains.

Beth suggested to Jim that the two of them earned themselves a nice break before the UFP contingent arrived. Kirk asked her to join him for dinner on the Enterprise, with a tour afterwards. She had yet to have a reason to go 'up there', but decided that now she had one. Beth accepted. Christine caught word of the 'dinner date' from Marie, and offered Beth a selection from several Terran outfits that she was not wearing at the moment.

That evening, Kirk beamed down to escort Beth back up to the ship. It was her first experience with the transporter. He was in his dress uniform now. Beth stared at him as if he was a stranger. "What's the matter, Beth? Don't you recognize me?" Kirk laughed. "And might I add, you... look... beautiful!" He took her hand and twirled her around in the evening light of the family garden. George and Marie were on the porch, and waved as the two vanished.

The dinner and conversation was everything Kirk hoped it would be. He knew how to show a lady a good time. As their private tour of the ship began, he realized something else. Beth was educated, intelligent, and completely innocent. Any other man could take advantage of the situation and she wouldn't have a clue. Kirk was not any other man. After the tour, he escorted her back to her front door, thanked her for a wonderful evening... and kissed her hand.

As he turned to get back on the transporter coordinates, he whispered, "Sleep well, Beth. See you in the morning."

Beth came into the house. Her mother was still up, sitting in the living room. "Oh, Hi! Mom. Didn't think anyone would still be awake."

"You think I'd miss hearing about my daughter's first date?", her mother smiled.

"What do you mean 'date'? We had dinner and he showed me the ship. Jim is . . . nice. I like him. I like him... a lot. Guess what?! He absolutely loves to hike, rock-climbing too! We're going to the gray cliffs tomorrow. We're going to hike there, and back too! Isn't that great?!"

"Sounds very nice. You be careful, Beth.", her mother admonished.

"You know I can handle the cliffs, they're easy." Beth was definitely innocent. 'Better to leave well enough alone', here mother decided. She would catch Jim first thing in the morning for a little talk.

Hike

Kirk arrived at the crack of dawn, and found Marie sipping a cup of tea on the porch. "Good Morning, Marie!", he said happily.

"Good morning, Jim. Have a seat, Beth isn't ready yet. I sent her on an errand. We have a few minutes. Jim, you're going to get 'the talk'. You know what I mean?" Marie was very pleasant as always, but her voice was more authoritative.

"I welcome the opportunity, Marie. I would have come to you and George soon enough. Beth is a wonderful person. I like her... a lot. I also know she is completely innocent to the ways of the world, not this world... any world... my world. I would never take advantage of her innocence. I respect her too much."

"Very good Jim. You've just said exactly what a mother wants to hear. If you intentions become anything other than friendship, you will speak to George and me first. Agreed?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Jim felt like he was seventeen again.

"Oh Hi, Jim! I'm almost ready. Here's your carders Mom. I had a hard time finding them. We'll be back before dark. Call us if you need to. Ready Jim? Bye, Mom!" As they headed north from the gate entrance, "What did she do? Give you 'the talk'? I got it earlier this morning. For pity's sake, I'm thirty two, not sixteen!"

"And how many dates have you had so far?" Jim regretted the question as it came out of his mouth.

She handled it. "Jim, that's not fair!"

"I'm sorry. You're right, it wasn't fair.", he apologized. "My plans for the day were hiking and a little rock climbing. How about you?"

"Sounds good, if you can keep up.", she challenged. Keeping up was no problem for Kirk. They walked like a matched set, two hours at a steady clip. The physical activity felt so good to Kirk. He could see a bluff rising in the distance.

"How much farther?"

"Half an hour, we made good time.", Beth replied. "Give me five.", as she plopped down on the ground and pulled out her water bag. Finished with her drink, she offered it to Jim. He was more interested in its' construction. The bag was crocheted, very small and tight loops, almost like thick canvas. It was coated with a black, flexible, shiny substance.

"Tar?", he asked.

"We get it from the 'tar-weed'. Handy stuff for waterproofing." She took it back from him and jumped up. "Ready? Race you to the cliffs!", then took off at a run. Kirk was ten years older and didn't feel like making a fool of himself. No rule said he had to accept the challenge. Made him think of the joke about the two bulls. Laughing to himself, he set off at a steady walk.

"Couldn't keep up?", she chided him.

"No... just because someone throws down a gauntlet doesn't mean I have to always pick it up.", Jim said quietly.

"Have you been in a lot of battles, Jim?"

"Too many. Too many... Okay, I take it you've climbed before. Anything I need to know?" The two climbers pulled out their equipment, working together like they'd done it together a hundred times. "Who taught you to climb?", Jim asked.

"My Dad. Geologist? Rocks? Climb the big rocks? He hasn't done it for a while now, says he's getting old. I think maybe something is wrong." Beth was concerned.

"I'm sure it's nothing our good doctors can't handle if there is something wrong. Trust me on this one. Kirk didn't want to let on that he knew.

"I do trust you, Jim. Me first!" Up she went. Jim was trying to forget the fact that he didn't mind the view, being second in line. The climb was not an easy one, but not dangerous either. They reached the top in ninety minutes. He was very glad that he wasn't the only one out of breath. "Now this is what I call a picnic spot!", Beth exclaimed.

The sun was warm, the breeze gentle, the grass soft. The ate lunch, then lay back on the grass and watched the clouds go by. They talked for hours, about everything. Two different worlds. Jim had probably seen more than anyone else in the quadrant, and Beth, the least.

"Jim. I want to leave For Ni Naar. Not forever, but I've got to see what's out there, especially Earth. We've been so busy since day one. Haven't even tried to find out if I still have any grandparents left."

"We already checked. The ship your parents came on had an identification number. We looked up the passenger list. Only one Marie on board, so we got her maiden name, Bodnad."

"That's right, her family originally came from Hungary.", Beth replied.

"The passenger list also gave names and addresses of next of kin. Always does for space travel. We have the information when your folks are ready for it."

"Go ahead and tell them, I bet they're afraid to ask. I don't want to know until they do.", She decided.

"This is just a crazy idea, Beth, but hear me out. There is no way that For Ni Naar is not going to become a UFP member. I will stake my reputation on that. Now, each planet has an ambassador. Who do you think would do well in that position?" Jim smiled. The wheels and gears in her mind were turning, turning, turning...

Rappelling back down was fun! Leaving now would get them home just before dark. Beth had a curfew. Two tired and happy hikers were almost at the big gate. Jim stopped. Beth stopped too and gave him a 'what?' look. One finger under her chin, he tipped her face up and gave her the gentlest of kisses. Just one. Then he had to give her a little push for them to continue to the house.

Marie was on the porch. "You going to stay for dinner, Jim?"

"Would you understand if I said 'thank you, but no'. I'm worn out. Happy, but worn out."

"We understand, Jim. Rest well.", and Marie went back into the house. Beth watched as Jim dematerialized, then went into the house too. She went straight to her bedroom and closed the door. Marie respected her privacy. Beth had a lot to think about tonight. She didn't come out for dinner.

Spock happened to be in the transporter room when Kirk's call came in, so he handled the controls himself. Kirk looked like something the cat dragged in. Spock was used to this, well aware of his passion for rock climbing. Disheveled, dirty, dragging his pack on the deck, and a big smile. "Good evening, Jim. Did you have a pleasant day?"

"You know I did! Right now I want two things. A hot bath and a soft bed. See you in the morning, Spock."

_Christine, where are you?_

_Home. I'm done for the day. What's up?_

_I'll be right there._

"Why you sneaky little match-maker!"

"I see no reason for you to insult me, my Wife."

"Insult? That's a compliment!" He deserved a big kiss for that misunderstanding.

"How well do you know Beth at this point?", he asked.

"She needs a knight in shining armor."

"What is it with Terran women and these 'knights'?!"

"Oh, stop. It's symbolic and you know it. Beth is a wonderful, intelligent, interesting and vibrant woman... and she is so naive. She trusts everyone. That is very dangerous outside of her protected environment. You got beat up in school, I got chased with spiders. We learned early that not everyone is nice. Who is going to protect her while she learns the truth?"

"Jim."

"You're so sure?"

"Not yet, but he's acting 'different'. I do not shield myself against Jim, and he knows it. It's been that way for many years. It is how we can read each other so well during critical moments on the bridge, or elsewhere. It's not a bond. He cannot reach my mind. My concern is that I am sensing confusion, anxiety and doubt."

"I wouldn't have guessed that. What are you going to do?"

"Make sure he does not reach the point of no return.", Spock stated.

"You mean, make sure he doesn't blow an opportunity of a lifetime.", Christine rephrased his answer.

"He is my friend. I owe him that."

UFP Membership

The next day, a ship arrived from Earth with the UFP diplomatic contingent. Four members of the council, chosen by lots, would receive the membership application. If all four approved, there would be an automatic majority. If not, they would contact the rest of the council via subspace to provide them with all of the same information. The three others could then decide if they wanted to participate in a subspace vote of the full council. If membership is refused, there is an appeal process, a lengthy one. As the ship entered orbit, several people had their fingers crossed, and not in Vulcan fashion!

The final negotiations, if any, and the reading of the application would take place on the Enterprise. Back in her role of diplomacy, everything was spit n' polish, dress uniforms for all. The Rheinhardts were already on board, wearing the best homespun clothing they had, and waiting in the main conference room.

Kirk, Spock and the rest of the executive staff were waiting in the transporter room. McCoy was silently wagering to himself who was going to show up this time. Spock initiated the transporter process. The first six figures materialized. Two Tellerites, two Andorians, and two Vulcans. The second group formed in the transporter chamber. Three Terrans. The Captain did the greetings and introductions. Everyone had met before on more than one occasion, but decorum had to be followed. As everyone followed Kirk and filed out of the transporter room, Spock lingered... as did one Vulcan. "It is good to see you again, my Son." Sarek said. Spock bowed his head slightly and replied, "Father."

Decision

Entering the Conference Room, the Captain had to do the introduction routine again, but this time he had four, very nervous newcomers. George and Marie were calm enough, but seeing other species for the first time was difficult for Gary and Beth. Their parents had told them about Tellerites and Andorians, but had never met any in person themselves. Sarek had been chosen by his associate ambassadors to be spokesperson for the group. This made the meeting much more relaxed. Vulcans, they could relate to.

Everyone had their assigned seats, and took them. The meeting began. George spoke first. "Gentle beings, thank you for coming to consider our request for membership in the United Federation of Planets. The spokesperson for our family is our daughter, Beth." With that, he sat down. Beth stood up with an attitude of complete professionalism. Then, with perfect formality befitting an ambassador, she made her presentation. To say that the Captain was impressed with her would be a very large understatement.

Sarek accepted the application from her, and gave his own presentation on behalf of the UFP. It was agreed that there were no issues unresolved that needed more negotiation. The meeting adjourned for the UFP ambassadors and their staff to review the application. The next meeting would be held tomorrow at 1200.

Finally, the only ones left in the room were Kirk and the Rheinhardts.

Silence reigned for a minute, then Kirk just had to say it. "Beth, you were brilliant!" Her parents and brother embraced her, so happy for her. Beth smiled and looked at Jim. "You basically told me that I was the one for the job, and I trusted your judgement. Thank you."

Speaking to the entire family, Kirk asked, "Will you join me and my executive staff for dinner at the Captain's table?" Beth may now be the ambassador of For Ni Naar, but she was not head of the family.

George answered, "Thank you Captain, we would be honored."

Spock, McCoy, Scott, and Uhura all had rank of Commander. Being Captain, Kirk could do pretty much whatever he wanted to. So an exception was made, and noticed by the others as Spock escorted his wife to the table. Once everyone was seated, Kirk had to explain to the family why the UFP diplomats would not be eating with them. "Until For Ni Naar is accepted as a member, they cannot socialize with representatives for the applicant. They must remain impartial. Hopefully, tomorrow, it will be different." Kirk asked George to say grace, and they enjoyed their meal. Afterwards, the family, all four of them, went back home for the night.

The next day, 1200, and everyone is back in the conference room. All is silent as seats are taken. At the proper moment, Sarek rose. "It is by unanimous agreement that For Ni Naar is accepted as a member of the United Federation of Planets. Congratulations, and welcome." Sarek took his seat.

Beth stood up. "On behalf of my family and myself who are the sole inhabitants of For Ni Naar, we thank the representatives of the United Federation of Planets. In honor of this occasion, we offer a gift to this esteemed organization, to be used for the benefit of all member planets. We ask that you attend us to the hanger deck at this time."

This was unexpected. All of the UFP contingent looked questioningly at each other, but Sarek took command. "We shall attend. Please." as he gestured to the door.

Beth led the way, followed by her family. The Captain and his officers brought up the rear. Entering the hanger bay, all lights were off until one large spotlight came on. Shining straight down on that huge mound of dilithium crystals. The refracted light illuminated the room in a wonderous glow of blue. The moment was inspirational. Sarek finally found his voice, "On behalf of the Federation, we accept your gift of self."

"Ambassador Sarek, the obligation is ours.", Beth replied.

Now it was time to celebrate. Right there in the hanger deck. Tables and chairs were pushed forward from out of the dark perimeter of the room, as was food and drink to satisfy every unique palette. Music came from 'somewhere', while everyone was talking with everyone else, all at the same time. Beth was surrounded by the four ambassadors and enjoying every minute of it. Kirk found himself a drink and a corner chair. He wanted to just sit back and watch. Soon a familiar presence was next to him. "She is quite a remarkable woman, Jim."

"That she is, Spock. That she is." Jim kept staring at her across the room. Spock decided to leave it go right there. He still had time. At least Jim was paying attention.

Harvest time

Christine was near the end of her ninth month by the time all the excitement over UFP membership had died down, a little. She and Spock enjoyed visiting with Sarek when he didn't have obligations on the planet. Everyday life was getting very difficult for the mother to be. Spock insisted now that he attend her during all her swimming sessions, and assisted her with the special birthing exercises she would need not too long from now.

Granting UFP membership is one thing. Understanding what that meant was something else. Several more days passed as the four ambassadors brought down the rest of their staff to the surface for tours and information gathering. Finally, the weeks of diplomacy had come to an end. No sooner did their ships leave orbit, when two others arrived. UFP mining experts and crew were on these, with all the latest equipment.

George was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by all of this activity. He asked if he could talk to Dr. McCoy. The doctor had been patiently waiting for the right opportunity, and now it walked right in his office door. The two men had their chance to have that talk. George took the information well, and was grateful that McCoy said both he and Marie were easily 'curable'. George had Marie come up right away, and the three of them worked out a treatment schedule.

For now, Gary took over the mining concerns. After all, he knew as much about geology as his father did. His sister had found her 'niche', and he found his. Mom and Dad said they would be taking a week off. That they deserved it. Their kids were never aware of their parents' health concerns, and soon there wouldn't be any concerns.

The Enterprise was staying for a little while longer. The family was dubious of all these 'experts' showing up, telling them what they should do. It wasn't going over well, so George had a talk with Kirk. The Captain and his people had been straight up and honest with them from day one. George needed an ally. He would have one. The Captain came to know the Rheinhardt family very well in the weeks to come. There was little to nothing that one could use to fool the Captain.

Beth had concerns of her own now. She would be ambassador on the rare occasions it would be needed. The Andorian ambassador explained to her that smaller or more distant planets seldom had to have their ambassador come to Earth. Nor would they be required to set up any embassies on other planets. They could also refuse other member planets from establishing embassies on For Ni Naar if that was their preference. All four of the ambassadors had provided her with much information and good advice. They treated her as one of their own. Beth was humbled by the experience.

But now it was harvest season, and the family just had to get back to real life... for them. No harvest. No food for the winter, spring and following summer. At heart, she was, and always would be, a farmer. She felt that was her true purpose. Now, she had a problem. Gary was busy with the miners, Mom and Dad were not as active as they used to be. Who would bring in the harvest? She had to find Jim.

"Beth, didn't you know I'm just a farm boy from Iowa?" Jim finally confessed.

"My parents are from Iowa! My mother's family had a farm there."

"They still do." He had to let the secret out.

"They're alive? I have grandparents?" Beth was incredulous.

"You didn't want to know yet. Maybe this is a good time to tell your folks?"

"Yes, but what about the harvest?", she pressured.

"I have an idea for that too. Let's go find them!" They beamed down together and the four of them were back at the kitchen table for coffee and cake again.

"It's true. We were afraid to ask.", George replied. "They're all still alive? God is so good to us. Do they know?"

"Yes, George... they know. We found the churches they attended and had their pastors bring them the news. I felt it was appropriate. All the other families of your friends have been notified too. I hope you don't mind we took this upon ourselves?", Kirk asked sincerely.

"I am very grateful, Jim. This is such a blessing. Looks like we'll be visiting Earth sooner than we thought."

"Dad, the harvest?, his daughter interrupted.

"That's right, the harvest.", George didn't have an answer right away, so Jim stepped in.

"George, where I come from, what you need is similar to a 'barn-raising'. Ever seen one of those?" Kirk was smiling.

"Sure enough." he replied.

"Well, I bet you we can get your crops harvested in one day." Kirk's smile was getting bigger.

"How?"

"I've got four hundred people who have benefited from your family's generosity. Getting a bunch of them down here all at once to do this the old-fashioned way would be a real good experience for them, and one they would willingly offer to do." Really big smile now.

"Jim, I don't know what to say."

"Then let this be our way to say 'thank you'." Jim was feeling great!

The Captain had the ship's maintenance department create as many authentic hand tools as would be needed. Sickles, scythes, shovels and pitchforks. Several hand carts were assembled, out of wood, to haul the hay, grain and produce up to the compound. Fill those storerooms. It didn't matter to Kirk that the family could so easily buy anything their heart's desired. This was still a society of four with their own culture. He would honor it, not try to change it.

The Enterprise crew also provided all food and drinks, set up on tables in the family garden where workers could rest in the shade. Marie and George would remain at the house, only to oversee the work, no working themselves. Beth and Gary would supervise the work out in the fields. Kirk was excited. He felt like a kid again back home on the farm.

At the start of her tenth month, Christine's assignment was to make herself comfortable on the front porch with a cushioned rocking chair and her feet up. No getting up... except for one reason only. Marie promised Spock that she would keep an eye on her. For this he was grateful. He would also work in the fields.

Harvest day was a great success. Kirk stayed with Beth to coordinate the crews as they came down for a three hour shift, then they could head up to the house for refreshments. What would have taken the Rheinhardts weeks to accomplish, was done in one day. Hard work in an atmosphere of celebration.

Later that evening, all the Enterprise crew were back up in the ship. Marie and George bid their goodnights and turned in early. So did Gary. Jim and Beth felt like they were the last ones at a party and didn't want it to end. It was the truth. In one of the large open store rooms, now filled with dry hay yet to be winnowed, the sweet aroma of the hay was almost intoxicating to a couple of farm kids. Resting on a big pile of hay, Beth and Jim talked. Seriously now. They weren't kids, and decisions had to be made.

"Jim, outside of my family, you're the first man I ever met."

"I can only be honest with you. I've been with many women over the years. I fell in love three different times. Each time, she died. I'm so emotionally scarred, I'm afraid to go any further. But this is the first time I met someone I could truly say is my 'solemate'. You are the half of me that has been destroyed over the years. Spock said when he married Christine that he was 'complete'. I didn't understand then. Now I do. We'll be leaving soon, Beth."

"Jim, take me with you. I love you. I have no one to compare you by, nor would I want to. I believe that God brought you to me. There will never be another."

"Beth, I love you too. I want to take you with me and show you the galaxy, for a start. If and when we grew weary of that, then I would show you my farm in Iowa. The Kirk family farm has been empty for too many years. It needs a family in it again."

"I'm an adult and can make my own decisions. But I have a responsibility to honor my father and mother. Their faith has supported them for thirty four years. They would never ask you to believe what they do. Each person has to find their own way. But I cannot tell them I'm taking off for a while with a man who is not my husband."

"Then don't." Jim said.

"What!" Did she hear him correctly?

"Tell them you're taking off for a while with a man who IS your husband." He stared deeply into her eyes.

"Is this a proposal?" She just wanted to make sure.

"Yes... Marry me, Beth. I do think that God sees we are perfect for each other. I'm not about to argue with a higher authority."

"I will marry you, Jim Kirk, in the presence of my family and under the sight of God... I will marry you. But who will marry us?"

"Funny thing. I just happen to know another ship's Captain, and I'm sure he would be very willing." Kirk had kept his promise to respect the daughter of George and Marie. For now, he would go no further than some very passionate kissing. God had given him another chance for true happiness. Just wait until he told Spock.

"Spock, you can put me down now. Spock... please?"

Wedding

It simply would not be fair. There was no way to allow the combined total crews of two ships to attend a wedding ceremony. That was how many people wanted to be there.

Beth wanted to have it at her home, in the center garden. Jim had to agree that garden looked like it had been waiting for a wedding all along. He was the groom. All he had to do was show up. Show up, but figure out who he would ask to come down for the ceremony.

Beth and her mother were working out all the details, and soon gave Jim a number... seventy. He could invite seventy out of over four hundred. That number did not include the women Beth would have in attendance. Christine would have been her choice for matron of honor, but not in her condition. She would still attend the ceremony because Spock would be there. But all Christine wanted was a soft seat, and someone to help her to 'you know where', if necessary.

Beth asked Nyota Uhura and Janice Rand to be her bridesmaids and, of course, they readily accepted.

Jim had the more difficult task. Spock had already accepted Jim's request to be 'best man'. McCoy and Scotty would stand by him too. Captain Sulu would officiate, his first time. Jim gave him ten persons to choose from Guardian. Chekhov and his other senior officers filled the quota. That left Jim with fifty six more to invite and It simply would not be fair, no matter how he sliced it. The best decision, they drew lots. To satisfy the rest, the ceremony would be recorded with a live feed to both ships. Anyone could watch from any terminal. Logistics solved.

Nyota donated a bolt of white satin she had purchased long ago. Beth and Marie sewed her dress by hand. It took four days. Full length, long sleeves, form-fitting, high neck. A wreath of white flowers in her hair rather than a veil. Same white flowers for her bouquet. Her long blond hair was always worn 'up'. Jim would see something different on his wedding day.

On the appointed day, everything was perfect. Every crewmember in attendance was in their best dress uniform. A very impressive site. George, Marie and Gary were equally impressive in the best home-spun, hand-woven outfits. Jim was standing at the alter with Spock at his side. McCoy and Scott, a little further away.

No music. That constant, gentle breeze had every wind-chime in the area singing. After all, Gary spent two extra days making and hanging wind-chimes everywhere around the main compound, but not too close. The effect was mystical.

George led his daughter down the aisle, one of the gravel paths. He placed her hand in Jim's, smiled at them, and returned to where Marie was seated. Janice and Nyota, both in dress uniforms, came up behind Beth and stepped off to the other side.

Captain Sulu's feelings at this moment were beyond expression. The one man in the galaxy he respected above all others, and he was officiating at his wedding. He was very honored.

"Friends, we are gathered here today, under the sight of God, to join together this man and this woman in marriage. Jim, do you take Beth to be your wife, to live together in marriage. Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep her, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. And forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

Beth, do you take Jim to be your husband, to live together in marriage. Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep him, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. And forsaking all others, be faithful only to him, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"By the authority vested in me by the United Federation of Planets, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jim, you may kiss your bride."

Jim did so, gently. He did not want to embarrass Beth. After all, it was only a couple of months ago, she was minding her own business, picking nuts in a tree...

The reception was held immediately. Light blue tinted, non-alcoholic champagne, and a traditional white wedding cake with light blue icing flowers on all five tiers. There was no dancing. Spock gave the toast to the happy couple. Everyone mixed and mingled for about an hour. Spock sought out Jim one last time, then excused himself to see to Christine. Happy to have witnessed the ceremony, she was nevertheless, sore and tired. He took her home.

Jim and Beth went into the house for a short while. When they came back onto the porch, they were dressed in 'hiking gear'! Backpacks, hiking boots, the whole deal. Everyone cheered! "Five days!", Kirk shouted out to his crew, "Just stay out of trouble for five days!" While being cheered and pelted with grain, husband and wife headed out the gated entrance and turned north.

Five Days Later

"Kirk to Enterprise."

"Enterprise, Spock here. Welcome back."

"We're not exactly 'back' yet. Scan for us north of the Rheinhardts' home and transport us there first. I'll contact you again later. Kirk out." They were forty seven miles away. Spock mused to himself that they didn't feel like walking back. Two hours later, another call from Kirk. One to beam up. Was he forgetting someone? Spock walked down towards the transporter room, knowing he could catch him in the hallway.

"Welcome back, Captain. Forgetting anything, or... anyone?"

"You gonna' start in on me? She's packing!"

"Ahh. I see." Spock walked along. "Forty seven miles in five days? Not much of a hike."

"Spock, you're treading on dangerous ground." Kirk said with a smile.

"I would not want to be insubordinate, Sir." He replied with that ever so slight smile that only Kirk could recognize.

"And how is your wife?" He changed the subject.

"Heavy with child and not happy."

KIrk laughed heartily, put his arm over his friend's shoulder. "Oh, Spock... what have we done? What have we done?"

The Captain went to his quarters to drop off his hiking equipment and change back into uniform. A few minutes later, he was back on the bridge where he received more 'congratulations' from the crew.

"Beth Kirk to Enterprise. Please come in." First time she got to use her new name. Made her giggle.

"I'll take this one, Uhura. Captain here. Mrs. KIrk, do you wish to come aboard?"

"That depends. How many people can hear our conversation right now?" Beth was being mischievous.

"Give me a minute to get to the transporter room. Hold on, Beth." He put her on 'hold' and left the bridge. Just as well, everyone else on the bridge was now laughing.

Beth materialized on the platform, next to three storage containers. As soon as she could move, she jumped off the platform and into Jim's arms. "Welcome home, Beth... welcome home."


End file.
